Keep Your Orchids Healthy and Virus Free

We love searching the orchid community for orchid care info, and then sharing it with you. Recently we came across an article that recommended Orchid ImmunoStrips™ as a quick and easy way, (although not inexpensive), to check for viruses in any plant you may suspect needs extra care.

We checked it out and the product information says, “The ImmunoStrip is a user friendly, reliable and an inexpensive means of testing for the most common orchid viruses. It can be used with all orchids. The petals, stems, leaves and roots can be tested.” It also says that it was able to detect the orchid disease even when the plants showed no obvious symptoms.

This is especially useful, since symptoms can easily be confused with symptoms of bacterial and fungal diseases. And while bacterial and fungal infections can be cured, an orchid plant with a virus cannot. The only treatment for an orchid virus is to control the situation by stopping it from spreading. This involves isolating and carefully disposing of the infected plant(s) and sterilizing tools between plants when dividing and repotting orchids. Pots should also be sterilized before reuse. Eradicate aphids as soon as they are discovered.

It may seem harsh, but you really must destroy infected plants. While they remain in your collection they are a potential source of further infection, and you run a real danger of contaminating non-infected plants, not only your own but other people's as well if you take your plants to meetings and shows. This means you can’t just drop it in a trash can, since someone could pick it up and take it home with them, thereby perpetuating the problem.

Remember also that all parts of the plant will be infected, and divisions and Keikis will carry and perpetuate the virus. Even meristem propagations (ie. mericlone) will usually be infected.